The Wanyamuezi, I Was
Assured, Were Dying Of Starvation In All Directions; For, In
Addition To The War, The Last Rainy Season Had Been So Light, All
Their Crops Had Failed.
27th and 28th.
- I now gave all my men presents for the severe
trials they had experienced in the wilderness, forgetting, as I
told them, the merciless manner in which they had plundered me;
but as I have a trifle more in proportion, to the three sole
remaining pagazis, because they had not finished their work, my
men were all discontented, and wished to throw back their
presents, saying I did not love them, although they were
"perminents," as much as the "temperaries." They, however, gave
in, after some hours of futile arguments, on my making them
understand, through Baraka, that what they saw me give to the
pagazis would, if they reflected, only tend to prove to them that
I was not a bad master who forgot his obligations when he could
get no more out of his servants.
I then went into a long inquiry with Musa about our journey
northward to Karague; and as he said there were no men to be
found in or near Unyanyembe, for they were either all killed or
engaged in the war, it was settled he should send some of his
head men on to Rungua, where he had formerly resided, trading for
some years, and was a great favourite with the chief of the
place, by name Kiringuana. He also settled that I might take out
of his establishment of slaves as many men as I could induce to
go with me, for he thought them more trouble than profit, hired
porters being more safe; moreover, he said the plan would be of
great advantage to him, as I offered to pay, both man and master,
each the same monthly stipend as I gave my present men. This was
paying double, and all the heavier a burden, as the number I
should require to complete my establishment to one hundred armed
men would be sixty. He, however, very generously advised me not
to take them, as they would give so much trouble; but finally
gave way when I told him I felt I could not advance beyond
Karague unless I was quite independent of the natives there - a
view in which he concurred.
29th and 30th. - Jafu, another Indian merchant here, and co-
partner of Musa, came in from a ten days' search after grain, and
described the whole country to be in the most dreadful state of
famine. Wanyamuezi were lying about dead from starvation in all
directions, and he did not think we should ever get through Usui,
as Suwarora, the chief, was so extortionate he would "tear us to
pieces"; but advised our waiting until the war was settled, when
all the Arabs would combine and go with us. Musa even showed
fear, but arranged, at my suggestion, that he should send some
men to Rumanika, informing him of our intention to visit him, and
begging, at the same time, he would use his influence in
preventing our being detained in Usui.
I may here explain that the country Uzinza was once a large
kingdom, governed by a king named Ruma, of Wahuma blood. At his
death, which took place in Dagara's time (the present Rumanika's
father), the kingdom was contested by his two sons, Rohinda and
Suwarora, but, at the intercession of Dagara, was divided -
Rohinda taking the eastern, called Ukhanga, and Suwarora the
western half of the country, called Usui. This measure made Usui
feudatory to Karague, so that much of the produce of the
extortions committed in Usui went to Karague, and therefore they
were recognised, though the odium always rested on Suwarora, "the
savage extortioner," rather than on the mild-disposed king of
Karague, who kept up the most amicable relations with every one
who visited him.
Musa, I must say, was most loud in his praises of Rumanika; and
on the other hand, as Musa, eight years ago, had saved Rumanika's
throne for him against an insurrection got up by his younger
brother Rogero, Rumanika, always regarding Musa as his saviour,
never lost an opportunity to show his gratitude, and would have
done anything that Musa might have asked him. Of this matter,
however, more in Karague.
31st. - To-day, Jafu, who had lost many ivories at Khoko when
Mohinna was attacked there, prepared 100 slaves, with Said bin
Osman, Mohinna's brother, with a view to follow down Snay, and,
combining forces, attack Hori Hori, hoping to recover their
losses; for it appeared to them the time had now come when their
only hope left in carrying their trade to a successful issue, lay
in force of arms. They would therefore not rest satisfied until
they had reduced Khoko and Usekhe both, by actual force, to
acknowledge their superiority, "feeding on them" until the
Ramazan, when they would return with all the merchants detained
in Ugogo, and, again combining their forces, they would fall on
Usui, to reduce that country also.
When these men had gone, a lunatic set the whole place in
commotion. He was a slave of Musa's, who had wounded some men
previously in his wild excesses, and had been tied up; but now,
breaking loose again, he swore he would not be satisfied until he
killed some "big man." His strength was so great no one could
confine him, though they hunted him into a hut, where, having
seized a gun and some arrows, he defied any one to put hands on
him. Here, however, he was at last reduced to submission and a
better state of his senses by starvation: for I must add, the
African is much give to such mental fits of aberration at certain
periods: these are generally harmless, but sometimes not; but
they come and they go again without any visible cause.
1st. - Musa's men now started for Rungua, and promised to bring
all the porters we wanted by the first day of the next moon.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 35 of 207
Words from 34654 to 35667
of 210958
